


Oh Boy

by melancholicreveriepatd



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-02 12:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1056590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melancholicreveriepatd/pseuds/melancholicreveriepatd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mindy agrees to pick up Danny after a dentist appointment that leaves him under the influence of laughing gas. She soon realizes that his slurred words could change their relationship for good. The only problem is he doesn't remember a word he said while under the effects of the gas. (Multi-chapter)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He stared at her.

To be more accurate, he was _still_ staring at her. His gaze remained unfazed and unwavering as the seconds passed. He stayed silent, impassive, and stoic; awaiting any kind of reaction she had to offer him. Mindy tried to swallow the reality of the situation.

Earlier that day, she had agreed to pick him up from a dentist appointment, simply to make sure he returned home safely. Mindy couldn’t help but chuckle at the lack of other friends he had to call at a time like this. It wasn’t meant to be degrading – in fact, she cherished it. It might be selfish of her, but he didn’t seem to mind having her as a best friend either. You know, apart from the occasional complaint. Imagining him loopy on nitrous oxide – laughing gas, as many people call it by – brought an even larger smile to her face.

Now, on the other hand, Mindy’s brightened expression had abandoned her, leaving only shock and disbelief in her eyes.

She was in the waiting room at the dentist’s office, as promised, as soon as his appointment ended. Once he was released from the room, she looped her arm around his waist and led him to the street to hail a cab. It was all very normal, despite his inebriated state. And then Danny began to speak.

“Oh boy…” He slurred. His head dipped from side to side as if he were a newborn who couldn’t support the weight of his own head upon his neck.

Mindy choked back a fit of giggles that threatened to escape. Her normally grumpy and reserved friend was now lolling about the back of a cab like an adorable inebriate. Plus, she always found it adorable whenever he said that, and the slurring of his drugged-up voice made it all the more hilarious to her.

“How ya holding up, sport?” Mindy asked casually.

Danny’s eyes lazily met her gaze. He smiled his usual cocky half-grin, but in his altered state it slowly lit up his face, all the way to his slightly glossy eyes.

“I am – you are, _wow_ ,” He muttered while his hand slid up and down his face. Mindy was at a loss for words. His current state was fascinating opposed to his usual demeanour.

“Alright, let’s get you upstairs and into bed,” Mindy grunted after paying the cabbie and struggled to haul an impaired Danny onto the sidewalk.

“I know how to walk, Miiinnnn,” Danny whined as they entered the elevator in his building.

As they stood quietly waiting for his floor, Mindy’s mind began to wander. She found it refreshing to save him for once. Sure, she stood up for him at times and was a person he could rely on, but he always managed to save her from the worst of situations. He was constantly telling her to do what she needed in order to be happy, standing by her through all her reckless decisions, even getting her out of her apartment after her horrible breakup with Casey. Danny was her crutch, and for once, it was nice to have him lean on her for a change. Literally – a large majority of his weight was slouched against her right side. She also happened to be astounded by his vulnerable side. She seldom caught quick glimpses of it, but each time led her delving deeper into whom he really was – a past time Mindy was becoming attached to.

She was snapped out of her reverie by the _ding_ of the elevator, indicating they had reached his floor. Uncharacteristically, Danny clutched her hand in his and led the way to his door. Mindy played along, not wanting to create any awkward moments. As curious as she was to see him in such a vulnerable state, she was also wary. He somehow managed to be impulsive at the most inconvenient times.

“You don’t have to… _this_ , you know,” Danny muttered as he fumbled with his keys.

“Actually, Doctor Druggie,” Mindy said while snatching the keys from his jittery hands and unlocking his door herself, “I in fact do _not_ know what you are trying to say. Now get into bed, c’mon.”

“I don’t do drugs Mindy, don’t say that.” Danny grumbled as he sprawled out on his bed, his tone a mixture of goofy amusement and pouting.

“Alright, I’m out of here Castel-lame-o. You need anything before I go?” Mindy stood at the end of the bed, shifting her weight between feet anxiously. She didn’t really want to delve into why she felt so on edge by his openness.

Danny awkwardly sat up on his bed and patted the space beside him. Mindy took a moment to get rid of her random fit of nerves before cautiously sitting down and facing him.

“What’s up?”

“Min, you are so good for me,” Danny slurred. Mindy chuckled uncomfortably.

“I think you mean I’m good _to_ you, Dan.”

Danny let out a genuine, heartwarming laugh that made Mindy unable to contain a smile herself. He laid back on the bed, his body sprawled out across it, and Mindy mirrored him, both staring up at the ceiling laying alongside each other.

“It means a lot, what you do for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better you.”

“Yeah well, you didn’t really ask, remember?” Mindy half-heartedly replied, letting out an awkward huff of air.

“It’s because I didn’t want to be. Your friend, that is. And then I did… for a while,” He replied, turning his head to face her.

“What does that mean?” She asked, still looking up at the ceiling and feeling his eyes watching her. “You don’t want to be friends anymore?”

That’s when she turned to him. And that’s when he simply stared back in response.

Mindy’s breath halted in her throat, her mind swimming with the possibilities of what he could be trying to say. _Does he mean…? Or is he being literal?_ She began to panic internally.

After what seemed like years of pure silence, filled only by their shallow breathing, Danny began to shake his head. _Dammit Mindy, you knew this was a bad idea! What if he says something horrible? Or something amazing… What if he doesn’t even remember it?!_

“Nope, haven’t for a long time,” Murmured Danny, his voice heavy with drowsiness from the medication. “You’re just…” Danny yawned in between words.

Mindy prayed that the drugs were wearing off. Or that he would just pass out already. Anything to let her escape from the conversation she was hoping would never happen – at least not like this.

Danny looked at her with eyes full of wonder before continuing. “Flummoxing.”

Mindy let out a much needed fit of laughter.

“You really do like that word, don’t you?” She chuckled.

“You’re also extraordinary.” His eye bore an unmistakeable vulnerability.

“Thank you,” was the only thing Mindy could choke out in response. Never before had Danny been so intimate and real with her. _Not unless you count that night in the lounge when we almost…_

“I – I’m gonna… go,” Mindy stood up and exhaled a shaky breath, the room feeling smaller than it had when she had entered.

“Will I see you?” Danny groggily sighed while turning over and putting a pillow under his head.

“Yes. Call me tomorrow okay?” Mindy asked. She didn’t even notice what she was saying, all she knew was that she needed air – and fast.

“Night Min,” Danny breathed.

Danny was fast asleep before she had even reached the front door.

 

_To be continued_


	2. Chapter 2

The following day, Mindy was constantly on her feet without a moment to herself. Usually her days were fairly busy, but today was jam packed with appointments, checkups, consultations and even a delivery later in the afternoon. It was a Godsend. Mindy couldn’t have been more grateful for her frantic schedule. It kept her busy, distracted, and most of all, some much-needed space from Danny.

She wasn’t traumatized or anything from the previous night, she just required time to digest the words uttered from his sluggish mouth. The very short amount of time Mindy had to herself to reflect on the events of that night resulted in her almost successfully convincing herself that he was so smashed from that laughing gas that he couldn’t have meant a word he had said. Mindy found it much easier to settle on this conclusion, opposed to the one that sat looming in the back of her mind. _When he said he didn’t want to be friends… he couldn’t possibly have meant_ more _than friends, right? Of course not._

“Oh, Dr. L!” Betsy announced sweetly from behind the receptionist’s desk, ripping Mindy from her thoughts. She had been leaning against the counter in the main area of the office and was flipping through files she held little to no interest in.

“Hm? Yeah Bets?” Mindy replied distractedly.

“I haven’t had the chance to track you down today, but Mrs. Karlson re-scheduled this evening’s appointment for Wednesday, so it looks like you’re free for the night!” Betsy stated cheerfully.

On any other day, Mindy would have grabbed her purse and basically sprinted for the door, but today she felt a certain dread at the thought of being alone with her thoughts. When she allowed herself to dwell on hers and Danny’s exchange from last night, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of nervousness and confusion. She wished with all of her might that Danny wouldn’t remember what he’d said – if he had even meant it – yet at the same time the thought of carrying around such an intimate moment for god knows how long made her head throb.

Mindy said goodnight to Betsy and returned to her office to pack up her things. Somewhere amongst her scurrying about the room she managed to knock over her purse, sending a few of its contents scattering about. She knelt down on the ground to retrieve a tube of _cherry-bomb red_ lipstick, her wallet, a pair of oversized sunglasses and a small envelope which had her name neatly scrawled on the cover.

“What the-?”  She muttered aloud, clearly confused by the origin of the envelope. She instantly recognized Danny’s handwriting and froze, both hands clutching to it as if it were both a lifeline and a poison. Mindy’s mind raced, yet she couldn’t will herself to open it.

She absentmindedly rose from the floor, dusted off her deep blue pencil skirt and began heading towards Danny’s office door, clearly on some path of destruction. She could see the light from under his door so she knew he was still here. _Of course he’s still here, where else would he be?_ As her hand rose to knock on his door she realized it still firmly held the unopened letter.

Before he could notice her presence, Mindy bolted back into her office, quietly closing the door behind her. Tearing open the envelope with far more vigour than necessary, she began to read:

_Mindy,_

_Due to our hectic day I haven’t got the chance to thank you for taking care of my doped-up ass last night. I both sincerely thank you and apologize for what I’m sure you had to endure. Who knows what came out of my mouth? Well, I don’t. I basically remember being in a cab and then passing out on my bed. Maybe you could catch me up? You know, just in case you have any incriminating photos and/or videos you took of me while I was under the influence. How about take-out on me tonight?_

_Let me know,_

_Danny_

 

Mindy, swallowing any nervousness left over from the requests in his letter, strode over to Danny’s office and knocked once before letting herself in.

He was leaning back in his chair with his head drooped completely to the side as he snored lightly. Mindy contemplated leaving, but quickly decided against it and strode over to his desk. She calmly sat down in one of the chairs across from him and retrieved her phone from her pocket. Scrolling through her music library, she finally settled on _Umbrella_ by Rihanna, knowing very well that it would make Danny lose his mind. She pressed play and turned the volume to its highest setting.

Danny screamed, his chair jerking so far to the right that

Mindy nearly hit the ground laughing.

“MINDY WHAT IN THE HELL?! OH MY GOD!” Danny shouted. Mindy silently wondered if he would turn red in the face and begin breathing out smoke like something out of Looney Tunes. This only intensified her laughter.

“Danny-” Mindy choked out while gasping for air. “Danny oh my god you’re… you’re face! And what kind of scream was that!?”

“Turn whatever the hell that crap is off, Mindy!” Danny barked. Mindy couldn’t stop laughing, and Danny didn’t interrupt her. He waited patiently, his face impassive and defeated.

“Alright, dinner’s on you tonight, right?” Mindy, finally having composed herself, replied in a chipper manner. Danny rolled his eyes but a hint of a smile played at his lips. She stood up and began to exit the room, more than happy that the subject of last night was off the table. At least for now.

Danny followed close behind her, closing up his office while she gathered her things from hers. They walked to the elevators side by side. Danny cast a sideways glance in her direction.

“I’m serious about those videos you know,” Danny grumbled. Mindy realized he was talking about the letter and giggled, playing up the nonchalance she did not possess upon the mentioning of last night.

“It’s called _Blackmail,_ Danny,” Mindy replied, strutting ahead into the open elevator doors. “Even someone of your age should have seen that one coming.”

Danny playfully nudged her in response, attempting to hold back a chuckle himself, but failing in doing so.


	3. Chapter 3

It was rare when silence between them was awkward, but tonight was different. They sat silently on Mindy’s couch flipping through channels to find something to watch. Mindy was hyperaware of Danny’s presence in the room, and her gaze frantically darted between him and the television. Her half-eaten Chinese takeout sat on the coffee table in front of her, while Danny was still finishing his. She didn’t know if she could hold it back anymore. She was terrified of the consequences, whether they were to be good or bad. No matter the outcome, something would change. Every time one of them shed even the slightest bit of vulnerability, their relationship began to lean in a different direction, towards something more tender, affectionate and meaningful. Mindy could not fathom the reasoning behind Danny’s words while under the effects of the laughing gas, and the more she brewed over them, the more she began to understand and it was beginning to worry her. The thought of keeping those echoing words inside her head for even a second longer was unbearable. _You have to do this Mindy… tonight._  

“Hey, Min?” Danny asked quietly, his attention still half absorbed by the screen ahead of him.

“Mm-Hm?” Was all Mindy could manage to respond.

“My Ma invited me to this dinner next week for an engagement party. It’s for a close family friend. I was wondering if you’d wanna go with me? I figure since you drag me to so many terrible events that I should get at least one-”

“Well Danny I-” Mindy interrupted, only to be cut off by Danny shortly after.

“Now hold on a second, just let me finish. I know you’re not a fan of Staten but, I mean, you’d get to finally meet my Ma which I know you probably want to do. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t get why you feel the need to meet everyone in my life, but I guess since we’re friends now that-”

“You don’t even want to be my friend, Danny!” Mindy shouted. She stilled. She hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but there was no going back. Danny looked confused and taken aback.

“What? I mean, yeah, I said differently that one time you brought a _prostitute_ into my home,” he gestured dramatically with his hands during the word _prostitute_ , “but I thought we were past that?”

Mindy sighed, defeated.

“Last night… you uh, you said you didn’t want to be friends anymore,” She muttered, looking anywhere but him.

Danny grabbed the remote and turned off the T.V. He faced Mindy and fought to meet her reluctant gaze.

“Wow,” Danny breathed. “You _really_ must have pissed me off, then.” He began to laugh. Mindy’s head darted to face him.

“Ex-squeeze me? All I did was help your sorry ass by not leaving you on the streets of New York all screwed up on laughing gas.”

“So… what? I’m gonna need a little bit more context here, Mindy,” Danny replied, his expression dropping to that of concern.

 _Well, it’s now or never._ Mindy thought. _Besides, maybe he won’t even know what it meant. Maybe it all means nothing! Yes, that’s it. We’ll laugh it off and move on…_

She took in a deep breath.

“You told me that you haven’t wanted to be my friend for a while, and that I’m… flummoxing,” Mindy said quietly, looking down at her clasped hands that rested on her lap. She attempted to laugh to ease the tension, but it came out shaky and a little melancholic.

“Well I had a bit of a point,” Danny said, nodding his head slowly. Mindy’s breath stopped in her throat.

“You can be a bit of a handful,” Danny shrugged and smiled smugly. Mindy shoved his chest, letting a laugh escape in spite of herself.

“Shut up! So, was that what you meant then? Nothing else?” Mindy asked cautiously.

Danny ran a fidgeting hand through his hair, taking a moment to close his eyes before opening them to gaze straight into hers. He bore a very masked expression, not revealing any emotion whatsoever.

“Is that what you want to hear?”

“Oh my god, Danny… I want to hear the truth! For once can we just not beat around the bush and actually talk about something?” Mindy groaned in frustration, throwing her hands up in the air exasperatedly.

Danny blinked a few times, his eyes searching her face. Mindy felt warm and uncomfortable under his stare. _Did I crank the heat in here or something? What the hell is up with me tonight?_  She thought.

“You’re right,” He stated simply. “Alright, what, uh… what should I say?” Danny shifted awkwardly in his spot on the couch, facing directly towards her. Mindy swore she could see a line of sweat beginning near his hairline.

“Well,” replied Mindy slowly, “Why don’t you want to be friends? Am I really that unbearable?” She hadn’t meant for it to come out so harshly, but there it was.

“What?! No! No Mindy, you know I like having you as a friend,” Danny said sincerely.

“Then what’s your deal?” Mindy snapped angrily while getting off the couch and heading into the kitchen, heading towards the sink. Danny followed closely behind.

“It’s not that, it’s… it’s _more_ than-,” He stuttered out weakly.

“What’s more? Jeez, why can’t you ever?!-” Mindy began as she fumbled with the glass she was currently pouring wine into.

“I want _more_ , Min, _”_ Danny’s voice dropped dangerously low.

 Mindy almost dropped both the bottle and the glass on the counter. Luckily, she managed to regain enough composure to place them down gently before turning to him. He was standing on the other side of the island, both hands firmly on it and slightly leaning towards her. There was a whole counter between them but she felt suddenly claustrophobic.

“More? More as in… as in us?”

“Haven’t you ever considered this, us, as more than friends?” Danny asked, his eyes pleading.

“I just- I don’t… I need air,” Mindy gasped, feeling suddenly nauseous. The reality of her situation was too much for her. She bolted down her hallway, entering her walk-in closet and opening the window to the fire escape. In her haste, however, she forgot to close the window. Danny wearily popped his head through moments later.

“Should I be worried or take the hint?” Danny asked impassively. It was a fair question, after all, given her reaction. Mindy tried to swallow and take a deep breath as her anxiety began to ebb.

“Please just give me a minute, okay? That was a lot to take in.”

Danny remained quiet for a moment, but his short temper got the better of him.

“I thought you were all for that _confessing feelings_ crap?”

“ _Crap?_ Really, dude?” Mindy spun around and looked down to find Danny climbing out of the window and onto the fire escape alongside her. They were almost nose to nose on the confined structure.

“You know I didn’t mean that, I just… I’m just confused. What are you thinking?”

“Please don’t ask me that question, Danny. I seldom can understand my own thoughts,” Mindy groaned.

“Min, please. Tell me anything. Just tell me how you feel about this,” He gestured between them.

She met his gaze and held it. She looked at him, _really_ looked at him. She saw the man before her with whom she had built an absolute trust. He was her colleague, her enemy (at times), her confidante, but most importantly he was her best friend. And she was his. She never thought she would be the type of girl to be lucky enough to fall for her best friend like she watched in all those romance movies, but with Danny in front of her, asking her to accept him, it wasn’t all that difficult to fathom. With him she could see herself happy, and that alone scared Mindy more than anything. She continued to stare at him, her mind swimming with the choice she had to make. It was all too much, never before had she had something so perfect yet so scary within reach. Wherever they would go from here was in Mindy’s hands.

“This isn’t fair,” was all she managed to say, her voice broken and breathy.

A flash of hurt crossed Danny’s features, but it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

“Alright then,” Danny uttered softly.

Before Mindy could continue, Danny slipped through the window and back into the house. She heard the front door click shut. She was left alone to her thoughts once again.

_To be continued_


	4. Chapter 4

 

Danny hadn’t spoken to Mindy in three days. Each morning he made sure to avoid the subway, taking the long way to work to hopefully avoid seeing her, and then he spent the remainder of the day holed up in his office with patients or sneaking off to the hospital. He wasn’t trying to be immature; he just didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t know how to act around her after he had admitted his feelings. _You knew it wasn’t going to end well, but you let her get inside your head and you told her anyway._ Danny silent scolded himself. He couldn’t believe he ruined possibly the most important friendship he’d ever made.

_I’m never going near laughing gas again. I’m never going to the dentist again. I might as well just move somewhere else. Maybe in the country? I could have a farm and one of those lawn mowers you ride on. How much money do farmers even make? Dammit…_

Since escaping wasn’t such a prime option, Danny was left to enter work every day wondering if it was the day he’d have to face his biggest fear – knowing he’d lost her. The fact that she was avoiding him was understandable – considering he was doing the exact same thing – but what terrified him the most was if one of these days she were to walk in with some other guy on her arm, without ever acknowledging what he had confessed to her. That thought alone made going to work almost unbearable, yet at the same time, the possibility of her smiling at him, grasping his arm or even having lunch with him gave him enough hope to get out of bed. It was an exhausting waiting game, one that Danny wasn’t sure he could endure for much longer.

He decided that he couldn’t avoid Mindy for yet another lunch. Putting off speaking to her was getting out of hand, and despite his best efforts, he missed her.

After taking almost five minutes to build up the confidence and make sure he wasn’t a sweaty mess, Danny made his best attempt at a nonchalant demeanor and strode into the office’s break room.

“Daniel, help me out on this,” Peter pleaded. He was sitting at a table with Morgan and by the expression on Morgan’s face he must have been saying something ridiculous. _Per usual._

“Nah, I’m gonna back out of this one,” Danny muttered, clearly uninterested in the matter.

He walked over to the fridge and grabbed his sandwich, apple and water before taking a seat at the empty table closest to the window. Despite his attempts to remain his usual closed-off self, Peter continued to attempt to get Danny to side with him on some issue involving Jeremy and Betsy – Danny didn’t care enough to retain the details. About ten more minutes of incessant banter passed before Danny finally gave up and made his way towards his office. Just as he was exiting the lunch room Mindy appeared before him in the doorway. She had her head bowed down to the phone in her hands, too enraptured by the screen before her to notice his presence. Danny felt his heart slam in his chest.

“I, uh,” He cleared his throat. “Can I get by, Mindy?” He asked shyly, barely able to glance her way for more than a few seconds at a time.

Mindy’s head instantly popped up upon hearing his words. Her surprised expression quickly became guarded as her gaze focused in on Danny.

“Yeah, of course,” Mindy replied nonchalantly, brushing past him and entering the break room. Danny’s eyes followed her suspiciously.

“Great, Mindy, you’re here,” Peter announced hopefully. “You have to back me up.”

“Why? What’s up guys?” Mindy asked while taking a seat beside Peter, still refusing to look back at a dumbstruck Danny still standing in the doorway. “Is it Miley? I don’t know how many times I have to say it but _short haircuts are in!_ I’m pretty sure I started the trend.”

“Yeah you did!” Morgan agreed excitedly, raising his hand for Mindy to high five it.

“No, Morgan. Not necessary.” She frowned, ignoring his hand.

“Ladies, focus in. Those two have definitely fooled around, right?” Peter questioned bluntly, while pointing toward the doorway – past Danny – to Jeremy leaning over the receptionist’s desk towards Betsy. Both of them were giggling in a hushed matter. “I mean look at them, how could they not?”

“I have to agree with Doctor P here, Doctor L.” Morgan added thoughtfully. “Jeremy’s lost at least eighty percent of his body mass and even started winking again. It’s starting to get to me; I can’t get his face out of my mind.” Mindy squealed with delight in response.

“Seriously?! Jeez, what happened to him?” Mindy pondered. “She’s… good for him! I mean, she’s the first decent girl he’s hand since me. Not that she even comes close to –”

“We have to hook them up,” Morgan cut Mindy off.

“Heck yeah we do!” Peter exclaimed, enthusiastically accepting Morgan’s high five.

“Wait…” Morgan hesitated. “Remember last time?” He hinted. Peter shook his head in confusion, so Morgan continued. “You know, when we had Doctor L’s phone and sent Cliff all those –”

“WHAT?!” Mindy screeched.

Danny found himself being shoved out of the doorway by Peter and Morgan bolting out of the room with Mindy hot in pursuit. Their shouts filled the entire floor with commotion.

Despite the uproar, Danny remained motionless.

He couldn’t fathom the last few moments that had passed or what she had done – rather, the _lack_ of what she had done. She wasn’t cold, shy or afraid… she just acted as if it were an average day between them, like nothing had changed. Danny quickly retreated back to his office and closed the door behind him.

“What in the hell?” He quietly mused to himself.

 _It’s as if she’s completely forgotten,_ Danny thought. _Was it, was it a dream? Of course not, dumbass. Did she just forget? How do you forget something like that?_ _For that matter, how does_ Mindy _forget something like that, of all people? She’s not even a good actor when it comes to keeping a secret; she makes sure anyone she comes across has insight to virtually every aspect of her life, so it’s not like she could be pretending it never happen… could she?_

Danny failed to hear his office door open.

“So we’re still on for this weekend, right?”

Mindy was standing in the doorway to his office, looking at him expectantly. Danny was at a complete loss for words. Mindy, clearly not catching on to his distraught state, took a seat in one of the chairs at his desk.

“What day did you say it was on? If it’s Sunday I’ll definitely need to leave early. Or at least be able to tune in to the new Walking Dead episode from- wait, does Staten even have cable?”

“ _Really?”_ Danny snapped out of his flustered demeanour to question her accusation. “Of course there’s cable on Staten.” He rolled his eyes. Mindy waved one of her hands dismissively.

“Well, whatever,” She replied half-heartedly. “So?”

Danny took a deep breath. “It’s Saturday. Are you sure you’re, uhm, okay to go?” He asked wearily.

“Duh, why wouldn’t I be? I’ve wanted to meet the woman who managed to put up with you for all these years. Oh my god, I can’t imagine what pubescent Danny must have been like… She’d better have pictures,” Mindy pondered aloud, almost as if she were talking to herself.

Danny slid a hand down his face, completely confused as to what was happening between them.

“Look Mindy, we should-” He started, just as Mindy’s shrill ringtone of some boy band tune went off.

“Oh crap, it’s Gwen. I have to take this,” She stood up and briskly exited his office. Just before she went out of sight she turned around and poked her head back through the doorway.

“I’ll be at your place by noon on Saturday. See ya then!” Mindy called to him, her eyes glittering with felicity.

“We’ll need to leave earlier than–”

“Gwen! I got your text. Hand the phone to Riley,” Mindy spoke into the phone in an overly dramatic way that could only mean she was about to give the poor child a lecture on something probably involving clothing choices.

Danny let out a groan and allowed his head to droop forward until it landed with a _thud_ on his desk.

“This can’t be good.”


	5. Chapter 5

Mindy could hardly hear herself think, let alone anyone else in the room who had been attempting to hold a conversation with her. She imagined the engagement party to take place in a quaint little living room, perhaps in a cottage-style house here on Staten. Instead, she found herself in an arguably large, run-down yet still charming bar that was packed with practically every Castellano – or friend of – in existence. The loud music, which Mindy instantly recognized as a Bruce Springsteen hit, blasted over the speakers. _Is boring taste in music a family trait, or what?_ She thought to herself. It reminded her of the scene in one of her favourite romantic comedies, _P.S. I Love You_ , when they’re in the bar for Gerard Butler’s character’s funeral, which made her even more uncomfortable with her situation. Mindy couldn’t help feeling more than a little annoyed. She had been chatting with people all night, especially guys, and not a single one had managed to catch on to her flirting. Mindy prided herself in her ability to woo the opposite sex, it was a skill she had mastered and it had proven successful many a time, especially within the past few years. But tonight:

Nothing.

Not even a flirtatious wink, nudge, or offer to buy her a drink. Granted, it was an open bar for the night… But the gesture would have been nice. With an exasperated huff, Mindy excused herself from a conversation with a _very_ promising architect who, yet again, managed to not be into her in the slightest. She quickly made her way towards the bathroom, locking herself in it.

After almost ten minutes of repeating a strenuous cycle of checking her breath and under arms for unwanted odor, as well as searching her hair, face, and outfit for any sign of unwelcome disarray, she gave up. Knowing it wasn’t her appearance or odor that was turning guys away from her didn’t help her childishly annoyed state. She then unwillingly returned to the party. Mindy perched herself at the bar, ordered another drink and took in her surroundings. Despite her sour mood, she had to admit that the company here was lovely. Everyone was so friendly and open and _loud._ Something that hanging out at dimly-lit, overpriced restaurants in Manhattan failed to offer. It was a refreshing change in pace, and Mindy truly did enjoy getting to know Danny’s family. Suddenly, as if on cue, a familiar face appeared by her side.

“Ay there, Mindy,” Stevie, Danny’s friend whom Mindy had almost formally dated, greeted her with a kind nod.

“Hey!” Mindy exclaimed, embracing him in a hug. “How are things?”

He hesitated for a moment.

“They are what they are,” Stevie replied cautiously. “Last week I met up with this guy at the alley on fourth and-”

“Nope, no that’s alright. I don’t need details.” Mindy interrupted. “I kind of feel like if I knew what you’ve been up to I would be considered an accomplice or something.”

Stevie laughed warmly. “Always so uptight,” He muttered under his breath. “I guess there’s no point in asking how you are, seeing as I hear you’re doin’ pretty damn good these days.”

“True,” Mindy mused. “I mean last week I bought this new pair of stilettos.” She gestured down to her feet. “Granted, they might have cost me at least a month’s-”

“Whoa, hey calm down there. As pretty as your shoes are I gotta admit I wasn’t talking about them…”

“Then what makes you think my life is so peachy? I mean it is, for the most part. But what makes you say that?” She asked.

“Well last I hear you and little Danny boy had finally sealed the deal,” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Excuse me? What does that even mean? Danny and I aren’t…” Mindy trailed off. Her initial confusion quickly turned into a realization of what had been happening the entire night.

“Pardon me, but if I don’t walk away now, _you_ are going to be an accomplice to something.”

“Wait, what?” Stevie asked from behind her. He was still leaning against the bar which Mindy had hastily fled.

_I’m gonna kill him. It’ll be cinematic, public, and totally deserved. Maybe this is just like P.S. I Love You, but instead of mourning the death of a loved one, they can all witness it themselves._

She charged up to the broadened figure who was casually laughing along with a couple. At the moment, Mindy managed to forget about anything but revenge. She quietly snuck up behind him, gingerly placing her hand on the small of his back. She felt Danny tense under her touch. _Good, he’d better be damn scared._ Careful not to deter him from his current conversation, she subtly leaned in close to him.

“You have five seconds to excuse yourself from this conversation before I create the biggest scene you’ve ever experienced. It will include both nudity and crying,” Mindy whispered into his ear, her voice low and venomous.

Danny muttered out some kind of excuse and ushered Mindy away from the couple he had been talking to. After gaining a decent amount of distance, Mindy wretched her elbow from his grasp and whipped around to face him.

“How _dare_ you?” She hissed, her eyes aglow with a radiating fire.

“Jesus, what did I do now?” He asked, clearly uninterested in her theatrics. “You do realize that was the engaged couple I was just talking to, right? The one’s we’re here to celebrate. Not every freaking social event has to be about you.”

“It wouldn’t have to be about me if every guy in the room wasn’t practically sprinting away from me the first chance they get!”

“A wise choice,” Danny muttered, regretting it instantly.

“Next time you tell everyone we’re together, want to make sure you, I don’t know… _Don’t?”_ She scolded him, followed by her quickly attempting to make a dramatic exit and stalk away from him, only to have him firmly grab her hand and tow her back towards him.

“Mindy, I never told anyone that.”

“Yeah right, save it, Castellano. I’m done with all this fake girlfriend crap,” She spat.

“No, no I’m serious. I promise I had nothing to do with this.”

“Then who…?” Mindy trailed off, lost in thought. She trusted Danny’s answer – considering he was easily the worst liar she had ever had the misfortune of watching sweat profusely under pressure – so she had no idea who could have set her up like this. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman with greying hair and a jaded face that still managed to emit youthfulness walked up and put her hand around Danny’s arm.

“Daniel, sweetie, Mike is asking for you over at the stage. He says it has something to do with-” Danny’s mom, who Mindy had failed initially recognize, was cut off by her son.

“Ma, hold on a sec. You know I’m single, right?”

“More or less,” His mom half-heartedly agreed. Mindy could have sworn there was a certain smugness in the way she had spoken.

“Ma…” Danny warned sternly. “This is Mindy.” The ladies shook hands.

“It’s amazing to finally meet you, Mrs. Castellano,” Mindy greeted sincerely.

“Please, call me Elena.” She smiled. “It’s a pleasure to finally put a face to all the stories I hear.”

“Really know?” Mindy smiled accusingly in Danny’s direction. His ears and cheeks reddened and he shied toward his mother.

“Ma, you know we aren’t together.”

She remained silent.

“So would you quit telling everyone we are?” Danny’s voice held little conviction due to his recent embarrassment at the hands of his mother.

“No worries, hon,” She pinched his cheek, smiling complacently in Mindy’s direction. “Now go help your cousin. He’s puttering with the big speaker at the other side of the stage.”

Danny hesitated, glancing coyly between the two women before him.

“Go.” His mother ordered. Her voice barely needed to hold any sense of urgency to make her son scurry off in the opposite direction he had been facing. Mindy peeled her eyes from Danny’s fleeing figure and turned to the woman before her

“You are hilarious!” Mindy laughed. Elena chuckled back in response to her enthusiasm. “Seriously, if I could get him to listen to me like that, my life would be so much easier.”

“It takes a while to get used to him, alright,” Elena sighed, looking off toward the direction her son had fled, worriedly. She quickly regained her chipper demeanour and met Mindy’s gaze. “But you two seemed to hit it off fairly well, did you not?”

“Well, like you said, it took a bit of time. Then after working together for a while, things just kind of fell into place. Don’t get me wrong, your son is still hell,” Mindy laughed, hoping his mom wouldn’t take offence. “Most days we drive each other mental, but in the end he’s an amazing friend I’ve been lucky enough to hold on to.”

Luckily, Elena hadn’t taken any semblance of offence. She merely smiled sweetly and grasped Mindy’s hand.

“Well, I’d better go check on the boys,” She sighed amusedly, releasing Mindy’s hand.

“Wait, Elena. One more thing. Uhm,” Mindy hesitated. “Did Danny tell you we were dating? I know he said he didn’t but…” She trailed off, unsure of where her thoughts were leading her.

“No, Mindy, don’t worry,” She stated simply. “I guess it’s just wishful thinking on my part, is all.” She chuckled, almost to herself. Elena gave Mindy a sincere smile before walking off in the direction of the commotion. 


	6. Chapter 6

 

“All I ask is that you stop complaining so we can celebrate Steph and Jerry's engagement, then we can be on our way, I promise," Danny grumbled dismissively. 

 

"Ugh. I know, I know, _people in love_ and all that," Mindy muttered in a bratty manner that made Danny roll his eyes. "I just don't understand why I'm even here! On the plus side, I get to see what it's like to be a member of the Castellano clan."

 

"You make us sound like a gang," Danny agreed playfully. "Careful, if you end up on our good side we might even cook for you." 

 

Mindy giggled in response. "That doesn't actually sound half bad."

 

They were seated on stools at a tall table near the front window of the bar. They could take in the towering skyline off in the distance of the miniscule island. Their prior awkwardness due to Danny's mother's assumption had nearly worn off, leaving them back to their usual platonic banter. 

 

A comfortable silence settled between them - which could hardly be classified as silence, considering the bar they were seated in was still filled with Danny's pleasantly loud friends and family, and of course the classic rock that boomed in the background didn't help either. Still, Mindy found the noise comforting, compared to that of the trendier clubs and bars she had ever been to. It was refreshing and more relaxing to her. She sighed audibly.

 

"What now?" Danny asked, his happiness unwilling to fade as a smile still graced his features.

 

"Nothing, I just wonder if I might want something like this one day, away from the city, you know?" She wondered aloud. Ever since moving from Massachusetts, she'd never once considered going anywhere else but the big city. It was where she was happy. "I'd at least like to visit a place like this some time. Maybe get a summer house… on a lake. That’s a thing, right? Ugh, do you hear this? I sound like... like, you!" 

 

Danny simply held her gaze, slightly squinting.

 

"You... _can_ have that, you know," He responded, almost wearily. 

 

"Someday, maybe. It's just tough seeing couples like this," She dramatically gestured to the newly engaged couple, "who end up shoving their happiness in my face."

 

"That's not the point, Mindy."

 

"I know. It just feels that way." Mindy quickly straightened up, attempting to shift the mood. “Hey, sorry I was so weird back there earlier. I don’t know what’s up with me lately, your mom just-”

 

“Don’t,” Danny cut her off, holding his hand up slightly before him while swallowing a swig of beer. “You don’t have to explain yourself, what she assumed was just… so… _her_ ,” He laughed in spite of himself.

 

“No worries,” Mindy smiled.

 

“Don’t let what she said sway your… you know, decision or anything,” Danny awkwardly stuttered. Mindy noticed yet another dramatic shift in their atmosphere.

 

Danny took a noticeably deep breath and stared intently at his hands that were clasped atop the table. He looked uncomfortable, something she saw often from him, though seldom directed towards her. She hadn't overstepped any boundaries, had she? She was just about to ask him if anything was wrong, but she had finally realized what he had just said.

 

“What decision?” Mindy wondered aloud.

 

“You know, what we talked about the other night,” He stated simply, as if it were an everyday conversation. Meanwhile, Mindy’s mind was reeling.

 

“Danny, what…?” She trailed off, her voice so small she could barely hear it herself. Obviously Danny hadn’t either because he continued to speak.

 

"And about the lake and stuff… I don't think it's crazy that you want something like that. I do too," he stated, rather coyly.

 

"Well what's holding you back?" Mindy choked out, genuinely curious despite the lump forming in her throat.

 

"You, actually," Danny stated simply.

 

Mindy couldn't breathe for a few moments. Danny took it as a cue to continue.

 

"I know it totally backfired the last time I tried to tell you how I felt but - actually I'm not even really sure it backfired, considering you acted as if nothing happened. So I'm not too sure where we stand but all I wanted to say is -"

 

"Wait, what do you mean _last_ time?" Mindy practically begged, confusion and an overwhelming dizziness consuming her. _The other night? Oh no, it couldn’t…_

 

He continued despite her interruption.

 

"The point is I think I want that kind of thing with you... You know, someday. And, and I can't help but feel like the only way to get it through to you is to keep telling you until we deal with this. I'll remind you every day if I have to and..."

 

Sometime during his speech Mindy had stopped listening. She didn't mean to, she was just having this overwhelming feeling she'd been here before, with him saying these things to her. As she searched his face, she saw an innocence, happiness and even excitement in his eyes when he looked at her. His hands were accentuating his speech with large movements and his smile grew each time she met his gaze. Eventually his mood began to noticeably darken.

 

"... On the fire escape when you didn't respond, I wasn't sure how to feel..."

 

Mindy's brain seemed to snap on at that moment, upon hearing those words. By the time she came to terms with what he was saying, Danny had stopped talking and was staring at her expectantly.

 

"How do you know about that?" She whispered, mostly to herself.

 

"Min, what are you talking about? Are you alright? You don't look so well," Danny replied with true concern.

 

Mindy's mind was spinning a mile a minute. She had no idea what to think. She tried to get up and go outside, possibly to get some much-needed fresh air by herself, but didn't make it that far. She heard some loud crashing and her vision went blurred.

 

"Min!" Someone, probably Danny, shouted. He sounded panicked and she wondered why.

 

The last thing she remembered was looking up at the ceiling.


	7. Chapter 7

“For God’s sake, she’s not dead she just fainted!” Danny practically shouted, wincing at the way his voice pitched up. The doctor in front of him sighed patiently.

“I understand, but you know I have to keep her awhile longer, just to be safe.”

“She has issues with stress okay? She faints, she barfs, she… Look, just at least let me in there, Jay,” Danny pleaded.

“Danny, no one said you couldn’t go in there...”

Danny didn’t even let the doctor, one of his old high school buddies, finish before he began to push open the door to her room.

He stood in the doorway awkwardly, even after quietly closing the door behind him. He took a moment to allow his gaze to fall on the woman before him who was sleeping peacefully a bed in front of a large window. A lump formed in his throat. _How can someone manage look like that in a freaking hospital bed?_ He swore she had the ability to stop his heart without uttering a word. He’d learned not to mind so much.

After deciding the amount of time spent looking at her was starting to get creepy, he cautiously sat down on a chair beside her bed. Danny spotted a TV on the opposite wall from them, so he grabbed the remote off her bedside table and hit the power button.

The remote fell on the ground with a loud smack when a commercial blared through the room, the volume – for some unknown reason – being set to practically it’s highest. Mindy awoke with a start when Danny shrieked.

“Danny what the-?” She muttered groggily.

“Sorry, sorry I just- Ugh, stupid volume why won’t you just work ?” He fumed, causing Mindy to snatch the remote from his grasp and mute the television herself. Despite Danny’s foul mood, Mindy was chuckling.

“So, can I ask what happened?”

“Uh, what do you want to know?” Danny asked tentatively, not sure how much information she wanted to hear in one sitting. Mindy deadpanned and scoffed.

“How about, oh I don’t know, the part about how the hell I ended up in a freaking hospital, Danny!” She screeched, gesturing wildly to the room around her.

“Oh yeah,” Danny laughed awkwardly. “You kind of fainted while we were talking. You muttered a bunch of useless stuff then boom, down you went.”

“Jeez … that explains the headache,” She moaned, grasping the side of her head. Danny tentatively caressed the side of her face with his hand in a comforting manner. He noticed Mindy close her eyes upon his touch and it made his heart beat faster. Upon seeing this, he realized he needed to address something. He sighed.

“What happened back there, Min?” He asked quietly. She pursed her lips and he could tell her eyes weren’t focused on him, despite being pointed straight at him. After a few moments she responded.

“I guess I just got freaked out,” She replied shyly. “I mean you said all of those amazing things and your entire family made me feel so at home, and you somehow kept bringing up a dream I had a few nights back which is weird because, I mean, I don’t recall telling you about it. Crazy, right? And then-”

“Wait, _what_?” Danny sputtered out.

“Yeah, I mean who would have thought I’d have a good time with a bar full of… well, you!” She rambled. Danny practically leaped forward and put his hand across her mouth. It probably wasn’t the most gentlemanly thing he could have done, but with Mindy, there were only a handful of options.

Danny ignored her muffled protests and flailing arms.

“Mindy, what the hell are you talking about? What dream?” He demanded. He must have looked like a maniac. He felt like he was losing his mind when it came to this woman.

Mindy smacked his hand away from her face, arming herself with her most melodramatically outraged look.

“First off, how dare you? Secondly, I don’t know why I’m bothering to tell you since for some unknown reason you obviously know all about it.”

Danny didn’t respond, merely looking at her with a flat, unamused expression, so she continued.

“Well, uh, you kind of came over to my apartment and we were watching something on TV. We started talking and I told you about what you said when you were all weird on laughing gas and you said it was true… that you didn’t want to be my friend anymore. That you wanted to be, uh,” She looked down at the edge of her blanket that she was fiddling with, “More than that, I guess.”

Danny was silent. He bore no emotion.

“Then I couldn’t give you an answer regarding what I wanted, then you left. All I remember next is waking up on my bed in a pile of Cheetos…” She trailed off.

Danny remained stoic.

“Dude, say _something,_ ” Mindy blurted, her voice small.

“Mindy, that, uh… That was real.”

“What are you talking about? I’m pretty sure-” She began, but was cut off by Danny groaning and dramatically dragging a hand down his face. When his hand finally fell, he had the eyes of a mad man.

“Are you kidding me?! Mindy that wasn’t a dream! Oh my god, is this seriously my life?” Danny seemed to be psychotically muttering to himself at this point. “You thought it wasn’t… Who does that?! Who just, just...”

Mindy remained silent, afraid that if she provoked him further he’d be dragged to the psych ward.

He began laughing, borderline hysterically.

“Are you okay?” She treaded carefully.

“No, no I’m not,” He finally chuckled out in response. “I finally tell the girl I’ve been in love with for god knows how long how I feel and she thinks she’s dreaming. Typical,” His laughter fades to an amused and tired smile. Her lips find themselves turning upwards as well.

“So everything you said was true then?” Mindy held her breath.

“Cross my heart.”

“Good,” She smiles.

Danny emits the most sincere smile she had probably ever seen before. There’s a moment between them, neither one can recall how much time they’ve spent looking at one another. Finally, Danny gets up, dusting off his jeans and stretching slightly. She watches him closely.

“I’m gonna go grab us some food, okay?” He points over his shoulder and begins to back toward the door. Before he gained too much distance, Mindy grasped his hand in hers.

“I’m sorry, I’m a mess.” She laughed hesitantly.

“You aren’t, you’re just…” Danny trailed off, his smile bearing more words than necessary.

“I just really need to lay off the wine and Cheetos combination before bed,” Mindy muttered, almost to herself. “I can’t even tell what reality I’m living in anymore.”

Danny laughed wholeheartedly. Seemingly acting on pure reflex, he closed the distance between them and cupped her face in his hand. Without another word he kissed her lips tenderly.

As they broke apart, her eyes fluttered open and the realization of what he had just done sunk in. Before he could explain himself she smiled. The expression of pure happiness on her face halted his words in his throat.

“Be back soon, okay? I’m clearly in no state of mental health to be left alone too long,” She joked. Well, half-joked.

Danny broke away from her, feeling as if he was floating, and made his way towards the door. He opened it but turned back to her before exiting.

“I’d suggest a shrink, but a couple sessions with you and the poor bastard would probably skip town.”

“Shut up, Danny!” She shrieked.

He quickly shut the door and watched a pillow soar straight into it. He could hear her tinkling giggle through the glass.

Danny walked down the hallway and stopped before the elevator, pushing the down arrow and waited for a few moments. Upon its arrival, he stepped through the large opening doors and hit the button for the lobby. Once the doors closed and he was alone with his thoughts, he leaned against the back wall of the confined space and laughed to himself, once again dragging a hand down his face in sheer disbelief.

“Oh boy,” He muttered aloud. 


End file.
